The Dubai Police have handed over two suspected fraudsters of Nigerian origin, Raymond Igbalode, also known as Hushpuppi and Olalekan Ponle, “Woodberry,” to the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
This was made known to the public in a statement issued on Thursday by the American federal investigators.
According to the statement, Christopher Wray, FBI Director, “praised the exceptional efforts exerted by the United Arab Emirate, represented by the Dubai Police General HQ, in combating transnational organised cybercrime including the recent arrest of Raymond Igbalode Abbas, known as “Hushpuppi” and Olalekan Jacob Ponle aka “Woodberry.””
The suspects, alongside others, were said to have committed money-laundering and multiple cybercrimes, to the United States.
The police in Dubai revealed that upon the arrest of Hushpuppi and other members of his crew, they discovered that fraud amounting to 1.6 billion dirham (N168bn) had been perpetrated by the gang.
It was also discovered that no fewer than 1,926,400 persons from different parts of the world have fallen victim to the suspects’ scams.
According to the police, 13 luxury cars, estimated at 35 million dirham were recovered from the house, where the suspects were arrested in Dubai.
The FBI have been on the hunt for several Nigerians suspected to be involved in defrauding Americans of their money through identity theft and other forms of internet-enabled fraud.
